Merchants and other entities involved in payment transactions often take advantage of various services provided by payment networks and other entities, such as value-added services that can enhance services provided by the merchant. For example, a payment network or associated entity may provide fraud-scoring, reward or loyalty programs, offer identification, and other value-added services to the merchant. In many instances, these services are provided during the processing of an electronic transaction, where the value-added services are applied at the payment network once the electronic transaction is routed to the payment network for processing.
However, in some instances a merchant or entity may desire value-added services provided by a payment network or associated entity that is different than the payment network primarily used by the merchant or entity in the processing of electronic transactions. For instance, a merchant may use a first payment network for electronic transaction switching, which may include performing processing related to authorization, clearing, and settlement of the transaction, but may desire to use a second payment network for a value-added service that the merchant wants to use to enhance the services provided to their customers. However, because electronic transactions involving the merchant are switched using the first payment network, the merchant and second payment network would be required to establish a new communication system and associated protocols. Furthermore, most payment networks and associated entities may be unable to perform value-added services outside of standard electronic transaction processing, requiring additional hardware and software development in order to provide such services when not operating as the switching payment network.
Thus, there is a need for a technical solution where a merchant and secondary payment network or other associated entity may be configured to communicate via established communication networks and protocols for transaction processing, while maintaining transaction switching being performed by a primary payment network, such that value-added services may be provided by the secondary payment network or other entity without modification to existing payment network topology and hardware. Such a technological solution may enable a merchant to avail itself to value-added services provided by any payment network, without an effect on their establishing switching payment network.